Is Your Cat's Digestion In Danger?

Samm Albright

November 17, 2018

Is Your Cat's Digestion In Danger?

Anything that reduces your cat’s absorption of food as it passes through the digestive tract will affect their stomach and intestines, resulting in pain and other problems. Efficient digestion through proper feeding is essential for your cat to build tissue and obtain energy. Our Raised Cat Feeder is the perfect solution to this problem, and has even won awards for its innovative design. Here’s how our Raised Cat Feeder will keep your kitty’s digestion functioning healthy.

Raised Feeders: Your Cat’s Digestive BFF

The functions of the digestive system can be divided into 4 main categories: digestion, absorption of nutrients, motility (movement through the digestive tract), and elimination of feces. Here’s what happens when you feed your cat:

Digestive Anatomy of Domesticated Cat

Mouth

Cats typically swallow their food in chunks rather than chewing. Cats are obligate carnivores, so they do not have a mandibular jaw. This means their motion is to bite and swallow, rather than chew from side to side as a cow would. The tongue positions the food for shredding and tearing, and mixes it with saliva to start the breakdown of carbohydrates.

Esophagus

After the tongue pushes the food toward the throat, the muscles in this 12 to 15 inch long tube move it down to the stomach.

Stomach

From the esophagus, the food passes through a sphincter (a ring of muscles) into the stomach itself. Here, acid begins the serious breakdown of food, particularly proteins. A cat’s stomach acid is strong enough to dissolve bones. The contractions of the stomach mix and grind food with secretions, turning it into a liquid before it passes to the next stage of digestion.

Liver and Pancreas

After passing through the liver, two things happen: the gallbladder releases bile and the pancreas releases several enzymes, forcing the food to the intestines. The small intestine is the longest part of the cat’s digestive system. All nutrients are absorbed there: proteins, enzymes, electrolytes and water.In the large intestine, also known as the colon, the last available water and electrolytes are absorbed from the food. Solid feces form and beneficial bacteria produce enzymes that break down material that is more difficult to digest.

Stop The Distress

There are many signs that your cat may be suffering from digestive disorders. The most common are:

Put Yourself In Their Paws

Put yourself in your cat’s paws, (or shoes, if they’re stylish like that). Get down on “all fours” facing a floor-level plate or bowl, and pretend to eat or drink from it. Notice that your stomach is “crunched” into your chest. This what your kitty experiences while eating — causing the digestive issued listed above, and why you should consider a raised cat feeder.

Benefits of Raised Feeder (And why ours is the best!)

Improves Digestion!

This is the most important part of why you should choose a raised cat feeder! This automatically lifts the trachea and esophagus, easing your cat’s neck into a more natural feeding position. Also, they will lean less when you raise the bowl higher than ground level, preventing future spine and hip problems.

Clean Eating Station

Our elevated bowls are made of stainless steel, which means they’re much easier to keep clean, and the food stays fresh longer. This is because when you place bowls on the floor, there’s a lot of dirt (or even bugs) coming into contact with the cat’s food or water. Lifting them above ground level will prevent this annoyance. Note: Replacement stainless steel bowls can be found here.

Ant & Bug Free

Our Raised Cat Feeder features a round base surrounded by a small moat. This moat can be filled with water to prevent any bugs, ants, or other critters from reaching the food bowls.

Great For Seasoned Cat Owners

Many cat owners struggle with bending over to pick up their cat’s food bowl. That’s why our Raised Cat Feeder is topped with a cat-shaped handle, making it simple to pick up without the painful bending.

Reduces Aggression

Each Raised Cat Feeder comes with two or three bowls - ideal for food and water, or to diffuse aggression when it comes to multi-cat households. This also makes our Raised Cat Feeder the ideal choice for animal shelters, rescue centers, and reputable breeders.